Dr. Simona Azzarello
Naturopath and counselor registered in the national register of counselors of Assocounseling. Fortnightly experience of yoga, relaxation and breathing techniques. Trained and authorized Method operator - SoulSpension by Pat Gavoni. He receives privately in Milan for individual counseling and parenting support meetings. Leads groups in the practice of anti-stress techniques and increased self-awareness.
And' a fantastic tool, appreciated by anyone who tries it, and above all particularly effective in achieving one of my most important objectives: making people autonomous in taking charge of their physical, emotional and mental well-being.
Since I started using SoulSpension, initially experimenting with it on myself and then introducing it into my groups and individual Relaxation, Rebalancing and Self-Regeneration meetings, I realized the enormous benefits that can be achieved in a short time with this method, precisely on those levels that constitute the backbone of my work: bodily and mental relaxation, observation of breathing, anchoring the mind to the present moment, self-awareness, surrender.
BODY – MIND – BREATH
When you place yourself on the SoulSpension you immediately perceive that you are in a very different situation from that in which you are simply lying on the ground as in most of the techniques or disciplines that they work on the body and on relaxation.
The reactions I received upon first contact with the instrument were one of wonder: expressions such as "Wow!", "How wonderful!", " I'm not going down anymore", or an evident and instantaneous relaxation without words, to which is often added a relaxed and enjoyed expression on the face.
Attention immediately goes to the body because we are busy discovering what happens when we find ourselves lying on the tracks of the SoulSpension, and is focused in a special way precisely on that part with which we are less familiar and to which we do not have access independently, creating an unusual sensation.
You soon realize how breathing becomes deeper: being largely suspended from the ground, the ribcage, due to the very effect of the body weight, opens allowing the influx of a greater quantity of air and oxygen. And the more oxygen enters the body, the greater our vitality!
And' It is useful to start the SoulSpension session, as recommended by the Method, always bringing your attention to your breathing which flows naturally, and maintain it for a while; observing the air entering and exiting. If you carefully observe your breathing you easily realize how it differs depending on the emotional state of the moment.
When we are relaxed our breathing is very different than when we are tense. As Osho says " You can't breathe relaxed and be angry at the same time: it's impossible!". Our breathing is linked to our mental states.
By changing the rhythm of our breathing we can change the states of our mind, and vice versa, by changing the states of our mind our breathing changes. We are psychosomatic beings, a body-mind system, not body and mind!
And' representative in this sense is the joke of a doctor who, after working with me on SoulSpension with breathing, observed: "Wow, I'm not angry anymore! "At this point we begin the gentle and slow movements of the method which amplify the ;anchoring the mind to the self - observation.
The mind automatically detaches itself from the incessant flow of thoughts because it is concentrated on observing the bodily sensations that are perceived in that exact moment momento.La our attention to the body and breathing, in addition to being the basis of physical well-being, help to re-educate our mind to anchor itself in the present moment, to escape from the mental automatisms that compulsively project us into a past over which we no longer have the power to act, and about a future that by definition is unknowable, polluting us with dysfunctional thoughts and creating states of anxiety.
SoulSpension teaches us to listen more to understand the messages of our body and our needs, so that we can take the right measures to preserve our health and well-being.
CONSTRUCTIVE MANAGEMENT OF SENSATIONS AND EMOTIONS OF DISCOMFORT
By directing attention to the movements suggested by the Method and their effect on the body, the emotional state and the mind, one can find oneself discovering and feeling a pain, a unease. We escape pain and seek pleasure, but in doing so we often give even more power and strength to that discomfort which is instead an expression of our being and requires attention and space.
By working with SoulSpension you train to listen to yourself, but also to remain with uncomfortable sensations and emotions, and observe them without judging them. The mental presence, or awareness, which is activated in this way, represents a way to face "what is there", and not give in to the urge to escape.
And here lies the concept of surrender. Staying and breathing where we feel pain often helps to release the tension that causes it and dissolve the blockage. Recognizing, accepting and staying with an emotion of discomfort allows us to let it go and defuse the destructive power it would have on a psychosomatic level if it were retained or removed.
Emotions, physical sensations and thoughts, whether pleasant or uncomfortable, are by their nature changeable, coming and going in a constant flow. It's about flowing together with them, flowing together with the events of life, the essence of which is continuous change. Our mind, avoiding that part of reality that it considers negative, unconsciously amplifies it, trapping us. This is why it is necessary to educate it.
FINDING YOUR CENTER
Self-observation training helps us to distance ourselves, to disidentify from the body, emotions and thoughts, and to develop what in many spiritual traditions and disciplines the internal witness is called.
We are talking about that part of our being which, being able to observe, is distinguished from the observed object, a center of consciousness outside of time and space, capable of a more broad and detached, a center of will that allows us to choose how to think, feel and act. When we are not in contact with this center we are in fact at the mercy of our thoughts, our emotions and physical sensations. We are identified in a portion of our being and we see our world and what surrounds us through glasses that distort reality. For this reason, in addition to the work of listening to our own body and breathing during the SoulSpension session, I personally consider it useful to observe ourselves and detect your physical, emotional and mental state before and after its use.
It helps us to come into greater contact with ourselves, but also to gain distance. This self-observation, in fact, amplifies the awareness of that part of us, which can be considered "our center".
Needless to say, after the SoulSpension session the self-observed emotions and sensations are very different from those detected before starting! Here are two examples.Giovanna:
First "On a physical level now I feel tense, I feel pain in my lumbar region and in my traps. On an emotional level I feel anxiety and fear of not making it, I'm going through a really difficult time. On a mental level I feel full and tired."
After "My body is softer and more relaxed, my back feels longer and more relaxed and my lower back is lighter - I feel calm - my mind is calmer, almost emptied. And' fantastic, let's hope it lasts!"
Antonio:
Before "I also now feel the usual pain that exhausts me in the dorsal bands on the right side of the spine. On an emotional level I feel angry and my mind is obsessively fixed on one thought."
After "The pain has eased considerably, I really almost don't feel it right now! I no longer feel anger, I don't perceive any particular emotion, I could say that I feel calm. On a mental level... I distracted myself from that thought, my mind is focused on observing myself.
At this point it is easier to realize that the multiple and changing aspects of ourselves that we have observed concern us and belong to us, that we have those internal elements, we contain them in us, but that we are much more: we are a center of conscience, of self-awareness and will, we talk about our Self.
Personally I consider SoulSpension not only an effective antidote and remedy for back pain and a simple and practical way to regenerate when you are tired and relax when you are stressed, but also an extraordinary educational tool, which through self-observation and self-listening can help us rediscover our center and take back the reins of our lives more easily.